Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) has announced its speakers for the 2026 Commencement ceremonies: will.i.am, artist, tech founder, and philanthropist, will deliver the undergraduate address, and Lisa Barton, president and CEO of Alliant Energy and a WPI electrical engineering alumna, will speak at the graduate ceremony.
The graduate ceremony will be held Thursday, May 14, at 5 p.m., and the undergraduate ceremony will take place Friday, May 15, at 2 p.m., both at the DCU Center in Worcester.
“Commencement is a time to celebrate the energy, creativity, and determination that define our graduates,” said Grace Wang, president of Worcester Polytechnic Institute. “will.i.am has energized audiences around the world by blending music, technology, and entrepreneurship in bold new ways, while also expanding access to STEAM and robotics education and opportunities through his forward-thinking philanthropic work. Lisa Barton has spent her career building and operating the infrastructure that powers modern life—from homes and hospitals to the technologies driving today’s digital economy. Together, they represent two powerful forms of innovation that reflect the spirit of WPI.”
Undergraduate Commencement Speaker
Multiplatinum, Grammy Award–winning artist, tech founder, and philanthropist will.i.am will address graduates at the undergraduate ceremony. An innovator at the intersection of music, technology, and innovation, he has built a global reputation as a creative force and a leader in advancing artificial intelligence, entrepreneurship, and digital transformation.
Beyond his success in music, will.i.am is a committed advocate for expanding access to education and opportunity through the i.am Angel Foundation, which he launched in 2009 to transform lives through education, inspiration, and opportunity—connecting talented individuals with the skills needed to build businesses, pursue meaningful careers, and create lasting impact in their communities. The foundation supports college scholarships, college preparation programs, and hands-on STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) and robotics education initiatives.
As a creative innovator and futurist, will.i.am also engages youth, educators, policymakers, and the broader tech community to help shape more inclusive pathways into AI and innovation-driven fields. He shares WPI’s commitment to strengthening the pipeline of future innovators through early engagement in robotics and STEM education, equipping students with the critical skills needed for high-impact careers in a rapidly evolving world.
Recognized for his outstanding contributions to the international engineering community, will.i.am was named an honorary fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology UK in 2017, and in 2025 he was appointed goodwill ambassador for the AI Skills Coalition, led by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union. In 2025, will.i.am was also appointed professor of practice at Arizona State University, where he is currently teaching The Agentic Self, a course he co-developed that explores the relationship between human creativity and artificial intelligence. He also serves on the boards of the USC Iovine and Young Academy, College Track, and FIRST Global. In addition to delivering the undergraduate Commencement address, will.i.am will receive an honorary doctorate in science degree during the undergraduate ceremony.
Graduate Commencement Speaker
As president and CEO, Barton leads Alliant Energy and is positioning the company to power the next era of economic growth—modernizing the grid, expanding generation, and preparing the region as a destination for AI, hyperscale data centers, and advanced industry. Her focus is simple but ambitious: Ensure the energy infrastructure of today can power the technology breakthroughs of tomorrow. An engineer and attorney by training, Barton has spent more than three decades helping transform the energy industry—from grid operations and market design to meeting the energy demands of a rapidly digitizing economy.
Before joining Alliant Energy in 2023, Barton served as executive vice president and chief operating officer of American Electric Power, where she led the largest electric transmission network in North America and helped establish the first competitive, investor-owned electric transmission company, Transource Energy, pioneering a new model for infrastructure investment and grid modernization. She currently serves on the boards of the Commercial Metals Company, Edison Electric Institute, American Transmission Company, and the Electric Power Research Institute, helping shape national energy policy and research priorities. Barton will also receive an honorary doctorate in science degree as part of the graduate ceremony.
For a full list of 2026 Commencement activities and related information, visit https://www.wpi.edu/news/annual-events/commencement.
Editor’s Note:
If your outlet requires the use of will.i.am’s full legal name, it is William Adams. All other names shown on Wikipedia and previously published stories are wrong. Please share this information with your copy editor, photo desk, and research/factchecking teams.
